Track for toy trains



July 9, 1940. B QN 2,207,171

TRACK FOR TOYTRAINS Filed March 1'7, 1939 IN VENTOR. WILL/AM G/Bso/v.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 9, 1940 V UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRACK FOR TOY TRAINS William Gibson, New York, N. Y.

Application March 17, 1939, Serial 'No. 262,452

1 Claim. (01. 238-10) This invention relates to tracks for toy trains. The rails l2 and |3rest on top of the wall l8, In experimenting with numerous tracks of toy and said wall is formed with struck up prongs l9 trains, I have found that after the train has engaging the flanges 20 of the rails I2 and 3. made several revolutions on the tracks, the tracks The track II has rails I21; and |3a similar to come apart. It is therefore an object of my inthe rails 2 and I3. The rails l2 and I3 have 5 vention to provide means for quickly and easily tubular heads 26 to receive longitudinal pins 2! attaching together the adjacent ends of tracks, on the heads of the rails |2a and Hat. The rails so that they will not come apart. |2a and |3a are supported by a tie member l4a,

A further object of this invention is to provide similar to the tie member I4. 10 means for attaching together the meeting ends With track construction as described herein 10 of tracks for toy trains which can be easily 011- above, it has been found that when the train erated by any child, and which can be manufacpasses over the track, several times, the'pins 21 tured with very little extra cost, and which will become loose from the rails l2 and I3, and the increase the demand for the tracks, and prove a tracks separate.

saving to purchasers because injury to the tracks Means is therefore provided to prevent sepa- 15 is thereby prevented. ration of the tracks. To this end, there is pivoted A still further object of this invention is to to the rail tie member l4a, as by a vertical pivot provide a rugged and durable track attachment 30, a flat, horizontal connecting member 3|, dismeans which shall be easy to manipulate, and posed between the rails |2a and |3a and extendpractical and efficient to a high degree in use. ing beyond the ends of said rails toward the track 20 Other objects of this invention will in part be l0. Said connecting member 3| is preferably obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. made of sheet metal and has an upwardly struck The invention accordingly consists in the feaintegral flange lug 32, serving as a handle. The tures of construction, combinations of elements, outer end of the connecting member 3| is beaded and arrangement of parts which will be exemover downwardly, as at 34, for the purpose here- 25 plifled in the construction hereinafter described. inafter appearing.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is Said outer end of said connecting member 3| shown various possible illustrative embodiments is preferably narrowed down, as shown in Figs. of this invention, l and 3 of the drawing.

Fig. l is a top plan view of the adjacent ends The top wall l8 of the tie member I4 is formed 30 of toy tracks, and illustrating the means for atwith a slot 40, having a wider portion 4| at one taching said ends together; end, and a narrower portion 42 at the other end. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing The downwardly extending beaded portion 34 the tracks attached together; may be pushed downwardly through the wider 35 Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the attaching portion 4| of the slot 40, and the connecting mem- 35 member; ber then swung in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the attachlooking at Fig. 2 of the drawing, to move the ing member; beaded portion 34 beneath the wall l8. The neck Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the attachportion 34a which interconnects the beaded poring member; tion 34 with the connecting member, moves into 40 Fig. 6 is a top plan view of an attaching memthe narrower portion 42 of the slot. ber embodyin the invention, and illustrating a It will now be understood that the tracks may modified construction; and be attached together by moving the pins 21 into Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional View taken on line the 'ends of the rail heads 26, then passing the beaded portion 34 downwardly into the slot por- 45 Referring now in detail to the drawing, l0 and tion 4|, and by grasping the handle 32, swing the H designate the meeting ends of tracks to be connector in a counter-clockwise direction to joined together. The track Ill comprises rails bring the bead beneath the wall l8, to prevent I 2 and is interconnected by a tie member l4. the connector from unfas'tening.

5c The tie member |4 maybe made of channel shape It will now be understood that the tracks will construction, having outwardly extending flanges be firmly attached together and will not acci- IB resting on the floor. Vertical walls I! extend dentally separate. upwardly from the flanges l6, and a flat hori- In Fig. 6 there is shown a connecting member zontal wall I8 interconnecting the vertical walls 3|a, embodying the invention, and illustrating a I1. modified construction. Said connecting member 55 is likewise made of flat sheet metal and has a downwardly extending bead 50 and a projection 5| extending beyond said bead, and formed with an upwardly extending flange 52 constituting a handle, to affect swinging movement of said connector.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A pair of toy rail tracks, each comprising a pair of rails mounted on rail tie members, the rails of one track interconnected with the aligned rails of the other track, the rail tie member of one track being formed with a slot having a wide and laterally extended narrowed portion, an interconnecting member pivoted to the rail tie member of the other track about a vertical axis and having a downwardly extending beaded portion adapted to pass through the wider part of the slot, and including an upper narrow neck portion adapted to be received in the narrower part of said slot, and said interconnecting member having an upwardly struck integral flange forming a handle, to swing said member about its pivot.

WILLIAM GIBSON. 

